A career as a firefighter is open to everyone irrespective of sex, marital status, colour, race, ethnic or national origin provided that you are of good character and fulfil the minimum requirements that are listed below.

Minimum Requirements

1. Be not less than 18 years of age on entry.
2. Be fit & able to pass a stringent medical examination. (For firefighting a minimum fitness level is a VO2 of 45ml/kg/min at recruit level-this is not ‘super fit’ and can be achieved by undertaking regular exercise)
3. Vision must be excellent in each eye. Hearing must be good in each ear.
4. Be able to pass a series of strength and aptitude tests, educational exams and interviews.
5. Educational qualifications are not necessary although a reasonable academic background may assist recruits in their career and subsequent promotions.

The Tests

Physical Fitness

You will be required to run back & forth between two lines twenty metres apart, maintaining a pace set by an audiocassette. The pace increases at one minute intervals throughout the test. The test finishes if you do not keep up or you reach the pre-determined target.

Physical/Practical

You will be required to pass a series of tests which include crawling through a narrow tube with your face covered, lifting, extending & replacing ladders, as well as tests designed to test your determination.

Strength Tests

You will be required to complete an upper body strength test, in the form of a grip test, using a handgrip dynamometer. Minimum requirements to pass the test are 35kg with the strongest hand and 33kg with the other. A combined leg and back strength test using a leg/back dynamometer. Minimum pass mark is 117kg.
Ladder lift simulator: this simulates the lift needed, the strength required and the reach necessary for an individual to replace a 13.5 metre ladder onto a fire appliance as part of a team.

Educational Tests

You must pass our own written tests to establish if you are able to cope with the rigorous theoretical learning required on a recruit’s course.

Once You Are In

Assuming you pass the first stage of application, you’ll start out by completing a four-month intensive training course, where you’ll be taught basic firefighting skills such as ladder safety, hose laying and the use of breathing apparatus.
Opportunities for promotion are good and you can progress through the roles as follows:-

Firefighter – Firefighter (Control)
Crew Manager – Crew Manager (Control)
Watch Manager – Watch Manager (Control)
Station Manager – Station Manager (Control)
Group Manager – Group Manager (Contro)
Area Manager

Important Note

If you are interested in keeping up to date with the latest recruitment situation you will be able to find updates on the GMCFS website or on this recruitment hotline number 0161 608 4146.
More information regarding what it takes to become a firefighter and fitness requirements etc can be found at
www.gmfrs-thinkagain.co.uk

You will also be taught about fire safety and the importance of communicating these messages to the community. This is an important part of your training and, as we continue to place an emphasis on trying to prevent fires rather than just responding to emergencies, it’s a skill you’ll build on throughout your career.

The training will involve practical tasks as well as classroom-based study, the majority of which will take place at the training centre in the centre of Manchester. You’ll be regularly assessed along the way to make sure everything’s sinking in, and if you need a bit of extra help there’ll be plenty of experienced people on hand to offer you the benefit of their knowledge.
After grasping the basic skills and gaining your first aid certificate, you’ll even get the chance to experience what it’s like to go into a real fire. The specially designed Fire House can recreate the searing heat, humidity, flames and thick smoke found in many house fires – but in a safe and controlled environment.

Once you’ve been through all that, and passed your assessments, you’ll be allocated to a fire station within the Greater Manchester area. There you’ll work a shift system – currently, two day shifts, followed by two night shifts, followed by four days off. You’ll be on probation for your first year and your performance will be continuously assessed.